Girls, I know a lot of us have this awful problem. You get a beautiful blowout and its perfect, until the minute you walk out into the 89%+ humidity. It’s honestly a sin how mother nature and hair were not made to get along with one another, and its no help to our pockets either. Don’t get me wrong, I love summer. I was born in the dead of winter and really, I’m not interested in the cold — except for being able to wear coats. Summer has the whole hair downfall to it, and it’s just not fair.

My personal experience with this lately has been worse than usual. I have wild curly/wavy hair that requires at least a blow dry and a good flat iron after. I used to always get a wash and set because it lasted much longer, and is better for your hair. With the busy and last minute schedule I lead, blowouts only take about 45 minutes compared to two and a half hours for the wash and set. I request a sleek, bone straight look that can transform over the days and become beach waves. I’m usually required to keep my hair blown out for work, because otherwise that would mean an extra two hours in hair and makeup at a job — and nobody wants to be THAT person. Lately, the bone straight tends to change into more of a wave after a day or two, making the sleek blowout more versatile and less time consuming.

During the day, if it’s hot or if I’m just sweaty from walking, I usually preserve my blowout by throwing my hair up into my infamous topknot. It keeps my hair off my sweaty neck and also leaves my hair with a nice curl when it is unspun from the knot. Before leaving the house, I make sure I see what type of shape my hair is in from sleeping. It could be super greasy (I don’t wash it often, because my hair gets dry really fast) or it could just need a pick-me-up via hair spray. If it does look greasy, my favorite old trick is baby powder. Just rub some in at the root where you need it and throw it into your bag just in case. It absorbs the excess oil and smells good. If it’s not too bad, I like to use Living Proof’s Revitalizing spray, which protects my color in the sun while also giving it a fresher start. I’ll spray some in and comb it through and it detangles, softens and even makes it easier to curl.

At night, I will usually sleep with my hair in a French braid to keep a nice bed-head wave for morning, while also keeping it off of my face — nobody wants pimples caused by their oily hair. To touch up my blowout, I’ll blow dry my roots with my Drybar brand blow dryer called the Buttercup. Then I’ll apply the baby powder as an alternate for dry shampoo. Depending on how much time I have, I’ll throw a few beach waves in with a curling iron and give it a little back tease, creating a fresher look. I have learned that the key in preserving a blowout, is keeping your hair off of your face and body when the temperature rises. If you can get your blowout to last longer, there are more options for hairstyles with a sleek mane (high pony, sleek bun, or topknot.) Keep it in shape and your pockets will gladly thank you. – Written by Kayla Mayhew